John Legend Is People Magazine's 2019 'Sexiest Man Alive'
People got it right naming John Legend as 2019’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’
If you watched NBC’s The Voice last night, you already know the good news — John Legend is the newest People Magazine “Sexiest Man Alive.” Blake Shelton, a former SMA himself, delivered the good news to Legend via a pair of bedazzled short-shorts with the letters EGOTSMA on the backside, which spell out his latest accomplishment — Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony award — and now, Sexiest Man Alive.
The 40-year-old music superstar, Voice coach, and all-around good guy is so deserving of the honor because there’s nothing sexier than a confident man devoted to his family who doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously (and who serenades himself while drunk every once in a while). Really he can’t, and if he ever does, he has wife Chrissy Teigen to bring him back down to Earth.
Legend opened up to People, talking about his childhood and being a musical savant, learning to play piano at the age of three. Though he went to high school and college early which made things awkward at times, he always had music to try to even the playing field. “I tried, I’d say around 12 or so to start writing songs for girls I liked. It wasn’t extremely effective at age 12 but I got better at it,” he says, adding, “I eventually wrote ‘All of Me’. It’s got about two billion views now.”
He also talked about his early career and the persistence it took to make it in the music business even with his clearly astounding abilities. “I was turned down by every record label in existence, including the one I’m signed to now,” said Legend, who earned a Grammy for best new artist in 2004. “I kept going until I finally turned those no’s into a yes.”
Of course, Legend’s kept a good sense of humor about the whole “Sexiest Man Alive” thing, tweeting his younger self’s shock to be following 2018 winner Idris Elba, sharing an epic picture of his younger, perhaps a wee bit less sexy days:
He also talked about his wife, model and author Chrissy Teigen, whom he married in 2013. “She always looks amazing,” said Legend. “And I get to stand next to her a lot and I don’t want to be a huge let down… so I try to dress well enough to be worthy of being next to my wife.”
Of course, Teigen couldn’t wait to share her thoughts with the world, immediately changing her famous Twitter profile to “de-motivational speaker currently sleeping with people’s sexiest man alive.”
His kids, Luna, three-and-a-half, and Miles, 18 months clearly keep his feet firmly planted on solid ground. I’m sure they’re ecstatic on the inside:
What does Legend think it takes to feel sexy? “I think you grow into being comfortable in your own skin,” he said. “Most of your teenage years, into your 20s, you’re still figuring out who you are, how you present yourself to the world…eventually I think you get more at ease with yourself. I know who I am. Maturity helps with that.”
As for what he thinks is his sexiest quality: “I mean, I’m a pretty good singer. That helps,” he said. “Least sexy? I love to do crossword puzzles. I’m a nerd in a lot of ways.”
